Hantei family
The Hantei family were founded by Hantei at the Dawn of the Empire and would become the Emperors of Rokugan for over a thousand years. Emperors The reigning emperor was referred to as tenno, or 'Heavennly Sovereign'. During twelve centuries the Hantei were the ruling house of the Emerald Empire, ruling as the political head of the nation as well as the leader of the Rokugani religion. Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun, p. 26 See Emperor of Rokugan for the full list of the Hantei Emperors. Kotaishi and Ritual of Abdication The heir assumptive was known by the title of Kotaishi and educated by the foremost Shintao priests in the Empire. Through the Ritual of Abdication any Hantei who did not ascend to the throne stepped aside, renouncing their name to clear the line of the true Emperor. Footsteps of Madness (Ambition's Debt flavor) They usually took the Otomo family name. Blood Dawn, Part IV: Twisted Visions, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf When the Last Akodo Falls Because Hantei spared Akodo during the Tournament of the Kami, Akodo swore to his brother that he and his family would serve him. Togashi, watching the battle from a distance, whispered: "When the last Akodo falls, so falls the last Hantei." Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 19 This forewarning was instrumental during the events in the 12th century. Unified Empire Hantei Ningi, grandson of the original Hantei, truly unified the Empire creating the Imperial Court and established the Emerald Champion as they were known for centuries. Vassal Family In the year 879 Hantei XXX granted the ronin Tsi family the status of Imperial Vassal family, working exclusively for the Hantei, and they were forbidden to create weapons for anyone else. Secrets of the Empire, p. 69 Downfall of the Hantei In the 12th century the Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Shoju discovered an ancient prophecy stating that the last Hantei would bring about the return of Fu Leng and the fall of Rokugan, and he decided that it was his duty to the Empire to prevent this. In 1123 he staged the Scorpion Coup in an attempt to assassinate the Emperor Hantei XXXVIII and his son and only heir. The son survived however, and after the death of Shoju became Hantei XXXIX. His rule would not last long, as he became quite sickly, and when he was near death he became possessed by Fu Leng. In 1128 the Second Day of Thunder took place, and when Fu Leng was defeated by the Seven Thunders, the Hantei line came to an end. Hantei legacy Unknown to almost everyone in the Empire, including the Emperor himself, Hantei XXXVIII had another heir, Daigotsu. Daigotsu was the unborn child believed to be killed by Bloodspeakers. The child survived and was raised by the cult, eventually becoming the man known as Daigotsu and the Dark Lord of the Shadowlands. One Question (Fall of Otosan Uchi Rulebook Story), by Rich Wulf Also unknown to nearly all within Rokugan was the fact that the immortal sorceror Iuchiban was also heir to the Imperial Throne. Until his death in 1166, there were at least two possible claimants to the throne. The Last Hantei Daigotsu Kanpeki, son of the Dark Lord, Souls of Steel, Part II, by Brian Yoon was the last Hantei alive in 1173, after Daigotsu's death. Goddesses, Part 4, by Shawn Carman See also * Hantei family/Meta Hantei*